Adjustable air-blast apparatus.



-w. s. QUIGLEY. ADJUSTABLE AIR BLAST APPARATUS.

APPLICATION [FILE D JUNE 12. 1914.

Patented July 18, 1916.

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W. S. QUIGLEY. v ADJUSTABLE AIR 'BLAST APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEIIZ, 1914.

1,191,226. I v Patented July 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. SHQUIGLEY.

ADJUSTABLE AIR BL'AS T APPARATUS. APPLICATION min-lune 12. 1914.

' Patented July 18, 1916.

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nnrrn earns arena? iricn WIR'I' S. QUIGLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y'., ASSIGNOR TO QUIGLEY FURNACE AND FOUNDRY CO., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ADJUSTABLE AIR-BLAST APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 1v 1s 1916 Application filed June 12, 1914. -Seria1No. 844,831.

My invention relates to means for adjusting the volume of delivery of an air blast while retaining constant velocity of dis charge, and to the combination thereof with apparatus for feeding finely divided fuel to furnaces. In the embodiment-of my invention herein shown it is applied to thetype of course, capable of use with many, different types of apparatus. A p

With the constructionshown in th Cuflj'- Y ney patent as employed to handle pulverized fuel, the'finely powdered coal in surplus quantity is dropped through an air conduitwith it, and to the combustion chamber, the

desired portion of the pulverized fuel constantly falling through the conduit. Theamount of fuel dropped through the air conduit per unit of time may be varied for economys sake so as to avoid handling an unnecessarily large surplus but arate of fuel flow into the air conduit in excess of the retrol of the quantity of fuel fed to the combustion chamber is secured throughvary-" ing the compressed air supply to the transversely arranged air inlet conduit. This air supply is furnished'by a constant pressure blower, but if the'supply to the air conduit chamber is controlled by a valve in the connections, or other ordinary regulating means, the cross sectional area of the rest of the air inlet conduit remaining constant, difficulty is encountered when the supply bf air is cut down below a certain limit. The reduction in volumeof ai'r passing through the air conduit chamber in a given time produces a corresponding reduction in velocity of the stream and consequently in its power of carrying the solid particles of fuel, and p some of these are deposited in the outlet conduit, soon clo ;ging it up. My invention overcomes this difficulty by maintaining the velocity of the air jet constant, the quantity being varied by varying the area of cross sectlon of the nozzle of the air inlet conduit, located at or very near the wall of the air conduit chamber. This control of quantity of flow by varying the nozzle area maintains a uniform velocity of issuing jet, and uniform effectiveness of jet in maintaining "the pulverized fuel in motion throughoutthe outlet conduit, the'quantity of fuel'injected into the outlet conduit varying, however,

with the cross sectional area of the jet. apparatus, or controller, for feeding po'w- The best form of apparatus embodying my invention at present known tome is she wn, together with certain modifications,

in the accompanyingthree sheets of drawing, in which'- Figure 1 is a 'sideelevationand partial section of a controller towhich my invention is to be applied; Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 22 of,Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is adetail view of the nozzle retaining plate and shutter; Fig. 4 is an axial-cross-section of the same; Fig. ,5 is an end elevation partly in section of the entire apparatus, showing a modified form of shutter, and Fig. 6 isadetail side view of this modified shutter disk. Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts. V

1, represents the controller. generally,

which in construction conforms quite closely to that-illustrated inqPatent No. 784,307,

above referred to, having .a hopper. 6, in whichthe pulverized fuel is placed, the horizontal conveyor screw -7, whichcarries a regulated portion of said fuel along to the upper end of the vertically arranged fuel conduit chamber 8, and downthrough which I itdrops, the surplus being returned by'the return screw 9, to be fed over again to the fuel conduitchamber. On either side of the vertically arranged fuel conduit-chamber 8, are the air conduits 2, and "4:, these being alined horizontally and at right angles to the fuel conduit chamber.

2, is the outlet air discharge conduit leading to the air' flue 3, and the combustion chamber (not shown) and 4, is the-inlet conduit which receives a supply of air at constant pressure from an ordinary centrifu gal blower 5.

.The conveyor screws 7 and 9, areconnected by gearing 10, so as to rotate simultaneously, and the screw 7, is driven by an electric motor- 11, through any suitable train of gearing 12. By varying the speed of the motor or the relative diameters of the gears inthe train 12, the speed of the conveyer screws can be varied.

The foregoing describes the present construction of controller mechanism fer feeding finely divided fuel as manufactured under. Patent No. 784,307, except that some means such as a gate or a valve in the inlet conduit 4, located at some distance from the controller is employed to regulate the quantity of compressed air supplied.

In operation the driving mechanism for the conveyer screws is arranged to drive them at a speed somewhat in excess of that necessary to deliver the maximum quantity of fuel required and further regulation is secured by reducing or increasing the supply of compressed air to the inlet conduit.

When the supply of air is kept down, however, the velocity of discharge into the fuel conduit chamber 8, is correspondingly reduced, and while the quantity of pulverized fuel driven in to the outlet conduit 2, is

' properly regulated, the speed of movement therein is reduced so that a proportion .of this fuel deposits in the conduit and chokes up the apparatus.

In my improved apparatus, I substitute for the distant valve or gate above described for controlling the Supply of compressed air, means for varying the area of the open-' 21, 21, which also pass through the wall and.

through an inner retaining plate 20. Loosely threaded on this nozzle is the cap 39-. Between the end of the nozzle 14, and the flange 40, of cap 39, are loosely held the adjusting ring 16, and the curved wings 13, 13, surrounding the central shutter opening 44. The loosely mounted cap 39, has a lug 17 which pro- ,jects rearwardly through an are shaped slot 22, in flange l5, and terminates in a handle'18. The adjusting ring 16, has a series of radial slots 41, 41, equal in number to the number of shutter wings 13, 13. Each wing 13, has atone end a rearwardly projecting pin 42, which is journaled in a hole in the face of the nozzle 14, and at the other end an outwardly projecting pin 19, whichiengages one of the radial slots 41, in adjusting ring 16. 'The cap flange 40,

moi-nae has a rearwardly projecting pin 43, which engages one of said slots 41. The result of this construction is that when the handle 18, is moved so as to rotate. cap 39, clockwise (looking at Fig. 3) the pin 43, causes adjusting ring 16, to rotate with the cap,

larges said shutter opening 14. Each move- I ment, therefore, opens or closes the shutter 13, the opening formed, however, being always a circular one, concentric with the circular cross section of the nozzle 14.

A modified construction is shown in Figs.

5 and 6, in which I employ a rotating disk shutter 32, having openings 33, 33, of different diameter. This shutter is mounted on a pivot pin 34, in front of the end of the air inlet conduit 4, in a recess 31,'in the inner face of the wall of fuel conduit chamber 8. This pin is fastened to the disk 32, as by upsetting its inner end as indicated at 35,

and provided with a polygonal head 36, having as many facets as there are holes 33, 33. In the construction shown in Fig. 6', the disk shutter 32, is made thin. If preferred, this shutter may be made of a thicker casting as indicated in Fig. 5, the, openings being partly tapered as at 37, so as to pro duce a. tapering nozzle effect. With. this construction the nozzle opening is varied by rotating disk 32, by means of a spanner applied to pivot pin head 36. The best results are obtained by having the nozzle of the inlet conduit 4, of a maximum cross section of opening less than that of the outlet conduit 2, as shown in the drawings.

The chamber 8, may be regarded as a vertical fuel conduit, having air inlet and discharge conduits 4, and 2, opening through opposite side walls, or it may be regarded as an enlargement of the air conduit leading from blower to combustion chamber, across which conduit enlargement the fuel is allowed to fall by the action of gravitation.

In operating my invention the blower 5,1

is run at constant speedand furnishes a supply of. air at constant pressure independently of the quantity so delivered. By manipulating the Iris shutter 13, by means of the handle 18, the area of the opening may be adjusted to any diameter and as the pressure of air is constant'the quantity of,

air passing through will vary directly asthe .area of the shutter opening. This will pro;

duce .a jet of. air of constant velocity but varying cross section, passing through the fuel conduit chamber 8, into the outlet convduit- 2. The quantity of fuelpiclred up by J- thisljet and carried into and through the f 1 outlet conduit 2, will vary as its cross section but, the speed of the current being constant, there is notendency, after this speed the jet-to be substantially uniform-s0, far as maintaining the fuel in motion is concerned, whatever-its crosssect1on, within quite wide":

. limits of'variation of said cross section,

carried varies proportionately Section of the jet.

though the quantity of fuel picked'up and with the cross To insure the above described operation and result, the conveyer screw 7, 1s cont1nu-' the air inletconduit. Other means-for pro- 1' I produced when the Iris shutter isopened to -=its widest degree. In the modified construcously run at a speed which will deliver ga surplus of finely divided material to the fuel conduit chamber 8, 6.,- more than-- enoughto'saturate the maximum air current smaller opening comes-opposite theend d'ucing the above described variations; of

nozzle opening'could doubtless be suppli'e'd's- .3

by the exerciseof ordinary mechanicalskilll] In all cases the maximum area of openingof the inlet air conduit should. be less than I 'i the fixed area'of opening of the air outlet conduit.

While I haveshown my invention applied to 'apparatusfor feeding "pulverized fiuel, the principleinvolved could Obviouslybe applied to the production of jets of fluid atconstant velocit bl1t of variable cross sec: tion when used or other purposes.

Having describedmy invention, I claim: .;1', In an; apparatus for' feeding finely divided fuel the combination with a substantiallyhorizontally' disposed air conduit having an enlargement forming a chamber, and means for dropping a stream of finely dividedfuel vertically through said chamber substantially at right angles to :the axis of the air' conduit, of a nozzle for the inlet side 3. In. an apparatus Y -.divided-material by .meahsof an airbla 'st tions the same eifect is produced by rotating the disk shutter 32, 'sor'that a larger or Y and discharge openings.

of the conduit'enlargement, a source of com- .pressed air at constant pressure connected to the inlet conduit, means for varying the area of opening of the nozzle, and independent means for, removing any of *the materialwhich drops below the' level of the nozzle.

and means for dropping a stream of finely divided fuel vertically through said chanr ber substantially atright angles to-the axis' of the air conduit, of a nozzle forflthe inlet sideof the conduit-enlargement, a source of compressed airat constant vpressure con-j nected to the "inlet conduit, an Iris shutter located in the extreme outer end of, said nozzle, and independent means for removing any material y-fan below the level of said nozzl 'e',. V

for "feeding finely the combination or a vertically arranged-fuel which falls-'below-the level air inlet' and discharge openings;

4. In "n apparatusron divided material by meansof an air blast the cornbinationpof a vertically. arranged fuel conduit, means for'dropping a stream of the material down through said conduit, oppositely disposed air, inletf and discharge con-. dults opening, through the side walls of the.

conduit, and an Iris shutter located at. said inlet opening together with independent means for removing any ofthe material which falls below the level of the air inlet Q IGLEYQ y WIRT'S.

Witnesses: v

' A. PARKER-SMITH,

M. G. CRAWFORD.

55 2. In an apparatus for feeding finely 

